The U.S. could save $16 billion over five years by investing in disease prevention programs aimed at increasing physical health, improving nutrition, and cutting smoking, according to a new report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH), a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Prevention services offer a 5-to-1 return on investment, according to the Prevention for a Healthier America report. The tally of savings included $5 billion for Medicare, $1.9 billion for Medicaid, and $9 billion for private healthcare payers.

"Health care costs are crippling the U.S. economy. Keeping Americans healthier is one of the most important, but overlooked ways we could reduce these costs," said Jeff Levi, Ph.D., executive director of TFAH. "This study shows that with a strategic investment in effective, evidence-based disease prevention programs, we could see tremendous returns in less than five years -- sparing millions of people from serious diseases and saving billions of dollars."

Savings can be accrued from disease-prevention initiatives that don't require medical care and target at-risk communities, including raising taxes on tobacco products and increasing access to healthy foods, the report stated.